Apparatus for printing on cylindrical containers



e 1964 c. EISEN 3,160,092

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING 0N CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS Original Filed April17, 1963 mvsmom CARLE' 545E N ATTORNEY United States Fatent Otilice 3its 092 APPARATUS FOR PRiNTrNo N (IYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS Carl Eisen, 157W. 21st St., New York, N.Y.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 273,759, Apr. 17,

1963. This application Jan. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 340,592 2 Claims. (Cl.161124) apparatus for printing on the cylindrical portions of plasticcontainers, said apparatus being more rapid in its operation, morepositive in its printing, less prone to failure, and more easilymaintained.

Another object of this invention is to provide a more efiicient drivemeans for rotating a positioning chunk in such a screening apparatus.

Many other objects, advantages and features of invention will becomeapparent from the following description and accompanying drawingwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of my invention with a silk screen and theelevating table shown in section;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse vertical section through the base of myinvention showing the workpiece holding and positioning elements mountedon the elevating table;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the elevating table, the workpiece holdingelements and the drive means for the workpiece positioning chuck;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of a plastic bottle or other container whichmay be printed upon with my apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of the workpiece positioning and holding chuck;

FIGURE 6 is a front view through a fragment of the apparatus of thisinvention showing a workpiece on the elevating table in the elevatedposition with the workpiece contacting the silk screen;

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal vertical section through a fragment of theworkpiece holding and positioning chuck; and

FIGURE 8 shows in schematic form a modification of the drive for theworkpiece positioning chuck.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a base It to whichthere are fixed the upstanding side plates 11 and 12. A pair ofrectangular spacing rods 13 extend between the front and back portionsof the side plates 11 and 12. Two forwardly extending support members 14support the base 15 and are fixed to the rods 13. Silk screen squeegee16 is supported by a pair of rods 17 which extend through the base 15. Atop member 18 joins the tops of the rods 17 and is connected to ancylinder 19 fixed to base 15. Springs 20 urge the squeegee 16 upward sothat air entering air cylinder 19 through tube 21 will urge squeegee 16downward against the springs 26.

Disposed under the spacing rods 13 are a pair of guide rods 22 aboutwhich the slide member 23 is mounted. Fixed to the bottom of slidemember 23 and extending forward from it are the support brackets 24-which hold the frame 25 of a silk screen 26. A tube 27 leads from an airsupply (not shown) through the two valves 28 and 29 to the tubes 30 and31. Tubes 36 and 31 lead to the ends of a long air cylinder 32. Airpassing through the valves 28 and 29 thus activates the air cylinder 32to urge slide member 23 along the guide rods 22 and to retract slidemember 23 into the position shown in FIG- URE 1.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, an elevating table 33 is mounted onthe two support rods 34 which extend slidably through the base 10. Thepiston rod 35 of an air cylinder 36 mounted under base 10 extendsthrough base It to raise elevating table 33 when cylinder 36 isactivated. A bottom member 37 extends between the rods 34 and has theadjustable stop 38 mounted in it to adjust the amount of elevation oftable 33. Springs 39 urge table 33 downward against the action ofcylinder 37. A tube 40 is connected to cylinder 36 and an air supply(not shown).

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, workpiece or plastic bottleholding means are mounted on table 33. A shaft 41 is rotatably mountedby the two supports 42. A positioning chuck 43 is mounted to rotateabout the front end of shaft 41. Disposed directly behind and fixed topositioning chuck 43 is a drive sprocket 44. Positioning chuck 43 has anouter rim 45 and a central cavity 46. As shown in FIGURE 7, shaft 41extends into cavity 46 and has the slotted block 47 fixed to rotate withit. A hook member 43, having the forwardly projecting tip portion 49, ispivotally secured within the slotted block 47 and is urged outward by acompression spring 56.

As shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, a drum 51 is fixed to the rearmost endof shaft 41 and has several turns of the fine wire 52 wrapped about andfixed to it. One end of the wire 52 is fixed to the forward edge 53 ofslide 23. The other end of wire 52 is fixed to the rearmost end of slidemember 23 by means of a spring takeup device 54. Thus it may be seenthat the lateral motion of slide 23 will cause wire 52 to rotate drum 51and thereby hook member 48.

Referring further to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, four rotatably mounted conicalguides 55 are mounted on the elevating table 33 in front of thepositioning chuck 43. At the other end of the elevating table 33 an aircylinder 56 is mounted and connected to a tube 57. When cylinder 56 isactivated, it moves its piston rod outward to urge the bottle neckengaging plug 58 toward the positioning chuck 43.

FIGURES 1 and 3 show the outer portion 43 of the positioning chuck isdriven counter clockwise by the elec tric motor 59. Motor 59 drivespinion 60 which is engaged by pinion 61 mounted on shaft 62. Shaft 62 isrotatably mounted in a support 63. A link 64 is pivotally mounted aboutshaft 62 and has the shaft 65 rotatably mounted at its end. Shaft 65carries sprocket 66 which is driven by chain 67 and sprocket 68.Sprocket 68 is rotatably mounted on shaft 62 and serves as a clutch asthe compression spring 69 urges sprocket 68 against a flange.

Link 70 is pivotally secured about shaft 65 and about shaft 71 which isrotatably journalled in the extension 72 of elevating table 33. Shaft 65drives shaft 71 by means of two sprockets 73 and 74 and a chain 75. Asprocket 76 is mounted on shaft 71 to drive sprocket 44 by means ofchain 77. Thus it may be seen that motor 59 may drive the workpieceholding and positioning chuck 43 with table 33 in the lower or elevatedposition. Spring 69 may be adjusted so that sprocket 68 is driven with adesired torque.

This invention operates and is used in the following manner. A bottle80, as shown in FIGURE 4, is molded of plastc with a positioningindentation 81 formed in its bottom. Indentation 81 has an upstandingradial wall portion 82. Motor 59 is started to rotate the positioningchuck 43 in a counter clockwise direction as shown in FIGURE 5. Aplastic bottle or other container is placed in front of the positioningchuck 43 with its neck towards the bottle neck engaging plug 58. Timingmotor 85 is then started to slowly rotate cam 86 and throw switch 87 fora desired period of time. Switch 87, by means of lead 83, opens thesolenoid valve 89 intube 40 ares-ps2 and, by means of lead 90 opensvalve 91 in tube 57. As I .82. Hook member 48 then stops the rotationofbottle 80 and chuck 4 3 as shaft 62 rotates within sprocket 68.

Air cylinder 36 raises the elevating table 33 and the bottle 80positioned thereon until the side of the bottle 80 contacts the silkscreen 26 as shown in FIGURE 6. As the elevating table moves upward thebottom member '37 closes switch 92 which opens valve 93 to activate aircylinder 19 and lower the silk screen squeegee 16 against the top of thesilk screen 26. Switch 92 also activates sole- ,noid 94 which opens andcloses valves 28 and 29 so that air from tube 27 rapidly drives thedouble acting cylinder 32 to move slide 23 to the right as shown inFIGURES l and 6.

- As shown in FIGURE 6, as slide 23 moves to the right, wire 52, whichextends abouttdrurn 51, rotates the shaft 41 and thereby the hook member48 to rotate bottle 80 with the same surface speed as that of silkscreen 25. Thus the drum 51 must be of substantially the same diameteras the container being silk screened.

As timing motor 85 continues to run, cam 86 rotates to open switch 87.Switch 87 then closes valve 80 allowing springs 39 to drop elevatingtable 33 back down into the position shown in FIGURE 1. The opening ofswitch 87 also closes valve 91 so that air cylinder 56 withdraws plug 58to release container 80. As elevating table '33 and bottom member 37move downward, switch 92 opens so that solenoid 94 opens and closesvalves 28- and 29 to return slide 23 to the position shown in FIGURE 1.At the same time and before there is any appreciable movement of slide23, switch 92 closes valve 93 so that spring continuously and containersmay be constantly removed and replaced by an operator at the appropriatetime during each cycle.

FIGURE 8 shows an alternate drive means for the positioning chuck 43. Inthis embodiment of my invention an electric clutch replaces the springclutch indicated by the reference numerals 68 and 69 of FIGURE 3. Aswitch 100 is closed as table 33 and botton'rmember 37 start to moveupward during each cycle of this apparatus. By means of a lead 101switch 100 connects the variable transformer 102 and the rectifiers 103to a power source (not shown). The rectifiers 103 convert line A.C.current to D.C. current which is supplied to the coil 104 of a magneticclutch 105 mounted on shaft 62. When coil 104 is energized, clutch 105may have a moving element attracted by coil 104 which engages sprockete8 to shaft 62 to rotate the workpiece positioning chuck 43. Sprocket 68drives the workpiece holding chuck in the manner which has beendescribed. Any type of magnetic clutch may be used. As table 33 dropsdownward at the end of a cycle, switch 100 opens to disengage clutch 105so that the workpiece positioning chuck 43 is not driven and may stoprotating. 7

While I have disclosed my invention in the best forms known to me, itwill nevertheless be understood that these are purely exemplary and thatmodifications may be made in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts except as it may be more limited in the appendedclaims wherein I claim:

portion containing a locating indentation; a slide member mountedto-move laterally; a silk screen fixed to said slide member; meansmoving said slide member and said silk screen laterally; a silk screensqueegee mounted over said silk screen, means urging said silk screensqueegee against said silk screen when said silk screen moves laterally;an 7 elevating table disposed below said silk screen; a containerholding and locating chuck mounted on said elevating table, saidcontainer holding and locating chuck comprising a horizontal shaftrotatably mounted above said elevating table, hook means fixed to theforward end of said shaft, spring means urging said hook, means forward,and an outer portion rotatably mounted about the forward end of saidshaft, said outer portion having a rim and containing a central cavitywithin said rim within which said hook means fixed to the forward end ofsaid shaft is disposed; means rotating said outer portion comprising amotor mounted beside said elevating table, a second shaft driven by saidmotor, said second shaft being parallel to said shaft of said containerholding and locating chuck, a first sprocket mounted on said secondshaft, a first link pivotally mounted about said second shaft, a thirdshaft rotatably mounted at the end of said first link, a second sprocketmounted on said third shaft, a first chain extending about said firstand second sprockets so that said second shaft drives said third shaft,a second link piovtally mounted about said third shaft, a lateralprojection from said elevating table, a fourth shaft rotatably mountedin said projection, the end of said second link being pivotally securedabout said fourth shaft, a third sprocket mounted on said third shaft, afourth sprocket mounted on said fourth shaft, a second chain disposedabout said third and fourth sprockets so that said third shaft drivessaid fourth shaft, a fifth sprocket mounted on said fourth shaft, adrive sprocket ing and locating chuck urging a container against saidouter portion to be rotated by contact with said outer portion untilsaid hook means engages the positioning indentation in the bottomportion of the container pre- 1. In a silk screening apparatus forprinting on the outer surface of a cylindrical container having a bottomventing rotation of the'container; and means raising said elevatingtable to hold a container against saidsilk screen beneath said silkscreen squeegee before said means moving said slide member laterallymoves said slide member, lateral motionof said slide member drawing saidwire from about said drum rotating said drum, said shaft of saidcontainer holding and locating chuck, and thereby said hook means torotate a container with the same surface speed as the linear velocity ofsaid silk screen.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said first sprocket isrotatably mounted on said second shaft and with the addition of magneticclutch means engaging said first sprocket to said second shaft, avariable transformer supplying current to said magnetic clutch, and aswitch closed by the raising of said elevating table, said switchconnecting said variable transformer to said magnetic clutch means torotate said outer portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,209,688 7/40Davis 101-124 2,556,657 6/51 Martin; 101 124 3,109,365 11/63 Karlyn101-424 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A SILK SCREENING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF ACYLINDRICAL CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM PORTION CONTAINING A LOCATINGINDENTATION; A SLIDE MEMBER MOUNTED TO MOVE LATERALLY; A SILK SCREENFIXED TO SAID SLIDE MEMBER; MEANS MOVING SAID SLIDE MEMBER AND SAID SILKSCREEN LATERALLY; A SILK SCREEN SQUEEGEE MOUNTED OVER SAID SILK SCREEN,MEANS URGING SAID SILK SCREEN SQUEEGEE AGAINST SAID SILK SCREEN WHENSAID SILK SCREEN MOVES LATERALLY; AN ELEVATING TABLE DISPOSED BELOW SAIDSILK SCREEN; A CONTAINER HOLDING AND LOCATING CHUCK MOUNTED ON SAIDELEVATING TABLE, SAID CONTAINER HOLDING AND LOCATING CHUCK COMPRISING AHORIZONTAL SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOVE SAID ELEVATING TABLE, HOOKMEANS FIXED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID SHAFT, SPRING MEANS URGING SAIDHOOK MEANS FORWARD, AND AN OUTER PORTION ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOUT THEFORWARD END OF SAID SHAFT, SAID OUTER PORTION HAVING A RIM ANDCONTAINING A CENTRAL CAVITY WITHIN SAID RIM WITHIN WHICH SAID HOOK MEANSFIXED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID SHAFT IS DISPOSED; MEANS ROTATING SAIDOUTER PORTION COMPRISING A MOTOR MOUNTED BESIDE SAID ELEVATING TABLE, ASECOND SHAFT DRIVEN BY SAID MOTOR, SAID SECOND SHAFT BEING PARALLEL TOSAID SHAFT OF SAID CONTAINER HOLDING AND LOCATING CHUCK, A FIRSTSPROCKET MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SHAFT, A FIRST LINK PIVOTALLY MOUNTEDABOUT SAID SECOND SHAFT, A THIRD SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT THE END OFSAID FIRST LINK, A SECOND SPROCKET MONTED ON SAISD LTHIRD SHAFT, A FIRSTCHAIN EXTENDING ABOUT SAID FIRST AND SECOND SPROCKETS SO THAT SAIDSECOND SHAFT DRIVES SAID THIRD SHAFT, A SECOND LINK PIOVTALLY MOUNTEDABOUT SAID THIRD SHAFT, A LATERAL PROJECTION FROM SAID ELEVATING TABLE,A FOURTH SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID PROJECTION, THE END OF SAIDSECOND LINK BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED ABOUT SAID FOURTH SHAFT, A THIRDSPROCKET MOUNTED ON SAID THIRD SHAFT, A FOURTH SPROCKET MOUNTED ON SAIDFOURTH SHAFT, A SECOND CHAIN DISPOSED ABOUT SAID THIRD AND FOURTHSPROCKETS SO THAT SAID THIRD SHAFT DRIVES SAID FOURTH SHAFT, A FIFTHSPROCKET MOUNTED ON SAID FOURTH SHAFT, A DRIVE SPROCKET FIXED TO SAIDOUTER PORTION, AND A THIRD CHAIN EXTENDING ABOUT SAID FIFTH SPROCKET ANDSAID DRIVE SPROCKET ROTATING SAID DRIVE SPROCKET, SAID FIRST AND SECONDLINKS PIVOTING AS SAID ELEVATING TABLE MOVES UPWARD AND DOWNWARD ANDSAID MOTOR DRIVES SAID OUTER PORTION; A DRUM FIXED TO THE REARMOST ENDOF SAID SHAFT; A WIRE EXTENDING FROM SAID SLIDE MEMBER ABOUT SAID DRUM,SAID DRUM BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIAMETER AS THE CONTAINERBEING SILK SCREENED; MEANS MOUNTED IN FRONT OF SAID CONTAINER HOLDINGAND LOCATING CHUCK URGING A CONTAINER AGINST SAID OUTER PORTION TO BEROTATED BY CONTACT WITH SAID OUTER PORTION UNTIL SAID HOOK MEANS ENGAGESTHE POSITIONING INDENTATION IN THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE CONTAINERPREVENTING ROTATION OF THE CONTAINER; AND MEANS RAISING SAID ELEVATINGTABLE TO HOLD A CONTAINER AGAINST SAID SILK SCREEN BENEATH SAID SILKSCREEN SQUEEGEE BEFORE SAID MEANS MOVING SAID SLIDE MEMBER LATERALLYMOVES SAID SLIDE MEMBER, LATERAL MOTION OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER DRAWINGSAID WIRE FROM ABOUT SAID DRUM ROTATING SAID DRUM, SAID SHAFT OF SAIDCONTAINER HOLDING AND LOCATING CHUCK, AND THEREBY SAID HOOK MEANS TOROTATE A CONTAINER WITH THE SAME SURFACE SPEED AS THE LINEAR VELOCITY OFSAID SILK SCREEN.